The Artemis II mission is a historic milestone, marking the first time humans have returned to the lunar environment in more than 50 years. The flight, already scheduled for April 1, 2026, consists of four astronauts: Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.
The mission is a ten-day flight around the moon to test systems for future moon landings. It marks the first manned lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972 and serves as a precursor to Artemis IV, which aims to land humans on the moon by 2028. The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket suffered setbacks, including hydrogen leaks and helium flow obstructions, requiring a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in February. The timing of the launch was also affected by investigations into the heat shield of the Orion spacecraft, which encountered problems during Artemis 1’s uncrewed return in 2022.
Taking a closer look, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex bus tour drops visitors off at the Gantry on 39A, about a mile from Pad 39B. Then history meets the present as visitors board the bus again and travel to the Apollo Saturn V Center. There, guests can learn about NASA’s first missions to the moon and have the chance to stand under a real Saturn V rocket.
